Donald Trump has taken advantage of the identification of the suspect in the shooting of two members of the National Guard in the heart of Washington to further tense the immigration debate in the United States. Hours after several media outlets confirmed that the detainee is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who arrived in the country in 2021, the president released an official video in which he toughens his speech and directly accuses Joe Biden of allowing the entry of “dangerous people” from Afghanistan.
Trump called the attack — which occurred in a subway station about 500 meters from the White House — “an act of terror” and relied on the suspect’s nationality to demand an immediate review of all arrivals from Afghanistan during the previous term. “This would not have happened without the decisions of the Biden Administration,” said the president, who has placed internal security at the center of his political strategy since returning to the White House.
The White House released the message a few hours after the attack and at a time when the investigation is still advancing. Lakanwal remains in police custody with several gunshot wounds, while the two members of the National Guard remain in critical but stable condition in separate hospitals. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser insisted that it was “a targeted attack” and asked to avoid speculation until the federal investigations conclude.
The president’s rhetoric quickly found reflection in the administrative machinery. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last night the indefinite suspension of all procedures related to Afghan applicants. The agency explained in a statement on X that “the protection and security of the country and the American people remains our primary objective and mission.” The measure comes just after Trump demanded to review “one by one” the permits granted to Afghan citizens evacuated or relocated after the fall of Kabul.
The movement represents a sharp turn from the policy that the United States has followed since 2021, when thousands of Afghans were relocated after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Most of them entered through humanitarian programs, and until now the Government had not publicly questioned their continuity. The USCIS announcement expands the political scope of the case and deepens the White House’s attempt to link homeland security and immigration control.
Meanwhile, investigators are trying to reconstruct the minutes before the attack and determine whether the suspect acted alone or with some type of planning. At the moment, they have not confirmed whether the military exchanged fire or what motivated Lakanwal to open fire in a busy area early in the morning. The event has revived an already extremely polarized immigration debate and once again places Washington at the epicenter of a national discussion about borders, security and political responsibility.
